Greater New Orleans

EU Lifts Cuban Sanctions

AFP reports today. The largely symbolic sanctions were originally enacted in 2003 in response to a crackdown of Cuban dissidents. Since then, 25 of 75 dissidents have been released. The European Union will evaluate Cuba's human rights record annually, a condition of removing sanctions. Referring to a new EU immigration law, in which illegal immigrants can be held for up to 18 months, Fidel Castro called the conditional terms "an enormous hypocrisy." However, the decision is considered a minor coup for his younger brother, Raul's, government.